My time in Clarines
by NarniaRoyalNavy123
Summary: An OC story about an All-American girl from California finding a manga that takes her to the land of Clarines. No romantic interest... for now. Set post first season. *Rating changed just in case*
1. Chapter 1

**I own nothing**

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I'm woken up by cold water dumped on me. At least, I thought it was water until I get a mouthful when I let out a shriek. It's pickle brine. I gag and spit out as much of the horrible taste as possible, shivering in disgust at the state of wetness I'm in and at the stubborn flavor lingering on my tongue.

" _Yoshi_ ," my attacker says, "That will teach you to sleep in on a workday. School may be over for the summer, but you still have responsibilities, _baka_."

"Hai, Obasan!" _Yes, Ma'am!_ I groan in reply. I should have known my landlady would do something like this since she's my former nanny. Komori-san lived above her bookstore, which is closer to my university than any of the other apartments I could afford, and I get to work part-time in the shop, so the idea to live with her seemed perfect.

But at the time, I forgot that Komori-san would not be afraid to use her unique disciplinary tactics if I slacked off. I know them all by heart, but not because I was a disobedient child growing up. That was my older brother, and he went through everything Komori-san had perfected over the years as a nanny.

She started in Japan at the young age of thirteen and managed to keep her job in the aftermath of World War II until she earned enough to move to the California coast with her fiancé. She continued her career as a child caretaker, even when she became a mother of her own. Through her kids and her charges, she learned the best ways to praise children and correct them when they were misbehaving.

Komori-san retired after I turned seventeen and bought an old apartment building, renovating the first two floors into a bookstore making the other two her new home. Two years later and business is good, which is why she decided that dumping pickle brine on me was a necessary measure.

I get up off my bed and remove the soaked sheets and comforter. I move the soaking articles into my bathroom and dump them into the tub so I can clean them later. I undress and toss my wet pajamas on top of the pile. Using the sink and a few washcloths, I rinse my hair and clean myself up.

As a final measure to get rid of the pickle smell, I put on some lavender scented lotion. I put on my work uniform as quickly as possible and rush to the kitchen. On the table waiting for me is a plate of peanut butter toast.

" _Arigatou_!" I thank Rin, one of Komori-san's older granddaughters. She gives me a thumbs up as I grab my breakfast and make my way downstairs to the staff room. As soon as I grab a broom I'm in business mode, starting my routine by sweeping the store's public areas, opening blinds and checking inventory. I finish in the Foreign Works section and see that the bin for Assorted Mangas is half empty (" _Masaka_ half full!" Komori-san would say, "Never!"), and I make my way to storage. I sneeze the minute I open the door.

"Damn it, Daiki," I curse, "Literally, all you have to do is this one job. Why can't you just dust this place?" Mentally scolding Komori-san's grandson, I step inside the store room and walk towards the back. The bulk of the Assorted Mangas comes from the local library as donations. The mangas in better condition go out on the floor while Komori-san keeps the rest for herself, or she'll give them as presents to anyone she thinks will like it.

We use a crate to hold all the mangas in, which I make my way towards in the far back of the storage room. Pretty soon I kneel down next to it and start taking out some mangas. I'm starting to make a decent pile when I come across a manga with nothing on the cover but an apple and a sword behind it. _Weird_ , I think to myself as I bring it closer for inspection, _manga covers usually have people on them_. This one didn't have a title or author on it, either, which is strange for any book. Besides the drawing on the front, the purple cover doesn't offer anything of interest. I open it to the first page and see a symbol, which to me looks like a golden six-point snowflake possibly bordered by a pair of wings. That's the only way I can describe it, and because I'm going to college for a Masters in cryptography, such a design intrigues me.

I continue to leaf through the pages and find them all to be blank. _What in the hell?_ I wonder, _Is this someone's manuscript or something?_ About halfway through I finally come across some words written in Japanese. I breathe a sigh of relief at the Katakana text, which I'm better at translating than Hiragana and Kanji. I read the sentence in my head to figure out the pronunciation, and once I think I got it I say it out loud.

"Hikiai, Akagami no Shirayukihime." _Witness, Snow White with the Red Hair_. _What Snow White with red hair?_ I ask myself, thinking back to every version of the fairy tale I ever heard. Suddenly a brightness explodes from the pages, and I barely have time to drop the manga when the light blinds me. I fall onto my back and keep my eyes closed. I wait out the rays until after a while they seem to fade away. I brave a peek and open my eyes. It's still lighter than the store room is supposed to be, but that's because I'm not in storage anymore. I'm in a library.

I stand up and try to blink out the blotches in my eyes while taking in my surroundings. The library is gorgeous. The oak shelves have gold plating along their edges. There are desks scattered all over the place. As I explore the room, I realize that it's even bigger than I first thought. Curious, I look at some of the titles on the book spines. I'm surprised to see them written in a blend of Kanji and Hiragana. Who would read this kind of dialect? What kind of library am I in? Where _am_ I?

A throat clears behind me, and the minute I turn around a sword is aimed at my throat. I gasp and back up into the shelves, the sword following. The man wielding the sword appears to be in the older twenties, wearing a black long-sleeved collared shirt with a vest decorated with ornate patterns along the edges, light-coloured pants, and a jacket draped over his shoulders. He has fair skin and blonde hair that reaches his chin. His posture looks relaxed, but I know better. I took fighting lessons from Komori-san's husband, and one of the first things he taught me was how to read an opponent. That's what this guy is doing to me, and I hope he doesn't see anything he doesn't like.

"Stop, _yameru_ ," I say, seizing him up in case I have to flee. I open my mouth to explain myself, but I hesitate. His features suggest he's European, but the book titles behind me are in Japanese. I don't know whether to use English or Japanese. I've never been in this kind of situation before. He gives me a small smile that I can only describe as mocking.

"Is there something the intruder wishes to say but is too mousy to speak further?" My eyebrows shoot up. Did he just say I'm mousy? I set my jaw and give him a glare. Now that I know this guy uses English, it's time to demonstrate why no one has ever described me as mousy.

"I wouldn't know, sir, as I am unaware of an intruder in this facility. Unless of course you're referring to me, in which case you are clearly mistaken, as I am not an intruder, but an unfortunate soul who came into this facility by accident." I take a small pause to catch my breath. "How's that for 'too mousy'?"

The guy doesn't say anything, but his smile turns into a frown. My gut tells me that may not be a good thing. His light blue eyes stare into mine like he's trying to look into my soul. Looking for any reason to stab now, ask questions later. Maybe three beats pass before he sheaths his sword.

"If what you say is true, then you shall be treated as a guest of this castle and shall be aided in any way necessary. But if I find one reason to believe your lying," he stalks up to me until I feel his breath on my skin, "You will be arrested and tried as a criminal. Do we have an understanding, Little Mouse?" I see the truth in his eyes, and for a moment I'm scared. But after the moment passes I assert myself and lean my face even closer to his in retaliation, our noses brushing.

"I understand crystal clear. Now that that's settled, here's something else that should be understood. I'm not Little Mouse. I'm Memphis. Memphis Frost. And something else I'd like to mention... wait, you said castle."

"Yes, I did," he responds and backs off, then puts his hand over his heart and bows to me. "A pleasure to meet you, Lady Memphis Frost. I am Izana Wistaria, the first prince of Clarines Kingdom." He straightens himself, and his mocking smile returns. The first prince? The first prince of Clarines Kingdom?

"...Nani?" I blurt. _What?_

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 **Please R &R. And if someone could tell me if I'm writing the Japanese incorrectly, please do, as I want this story to be enjoyable for you guys.**

 **Lot's of Love**

 **~Navy**


	2. Chapter 2

**Moshimoshi! I own nothing!**

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I fidget as I look at my reflection in a standing mirror. My mind is still reeling from the bomb Prince Izana dropped on me about being in a different country that he would rule one day. He had summoned three guards to "escort" me to a guest chamber. I barely had time to take the room in, let alone its beauty, before a maid, Aoi, came in with a gown in her arms. She explained that the Prince didn't want me walking around the castle in my current attire, but my gut told me she was paraphrasing. Five bucks he called me Little Mouse. The look on the Aoi's face as she gave me a once-over confirmed both my suspicions.

My white khakis, black ballet flats, and blue Komori-san's Bookstore employee polo stand out in the medieval environment that is Clarines. And body-wise, I am no mouse. So far the only one I've met that's taller than me is Izana, and only by an inch or two. And my skeleton underneath my California-tanned skin is the opposite of lanky, so even though I'm not in the heavy-weight class, no one can call me bean pole. But the deal-breaker is blue-black hair, which I've been dying for years. Komori-san and my parents only let me do so, so long as the dye was washable, so maybe three days from now my natural gray locks will shine through. Like many of my father's relatives, my hair turned to gray before hitting puberty.

Aoi helped me into the dress after I took off my American clothes. She left a while ago and left where I am now, standing in front of the full-length mirror and trying not to squirm. I'm no stranger to medieval garments because of my love of Shakespeare and Renaissance Faires. But looking at myself in the gown, it's making the situation all too real. The navy-blue velvet with its satin white sleeves and panels surprisingly compliments my sunkissed skin and blue-black hair. _Wonder how it will look when the gray starts showing_.

Clarines isn't a current country, and I know I didn't time-travel because I'm getting a Minor in History and Anthropology. _So if I didn't travel in space or time, then what is this place?_ I think as I stare at my reflection, dread beginning to fill my stomach. _Am I even going to be able to go home?_ The girl in the mirror with her deep-set chocolate eyes can't answer those questions, and she's just as nervous as I am.

I'm startled by a knock at the door. "Excuse us, Lady Memphis," a female voice says, "But we're court herbalists sent by Prince Izana. May we enter?"

"H-Hai!" I answer as I quickly fix myself in the mirror before realizing I spoke in Japanese. A nervous habit since preschool. "I mean yes, please come in."

I turn to the wall on my left where the door is and see a slim girl around my age with green eyes, pale skin, and short apple-red hair. She's dressed in a white uniform that ended just above her knees and completely covers the dress she's wearing underneath. Following behind her is a twelve-year-old boy, petite and pale with messy brown hair and aqua blue eyes. He's wearing a baggy blue shirt and trousers that reach his knees, showing off a pair of black socks and puffed boots. The scarf around his neck has white and purple stripes. _The girl said we, so that means the kid must be crazy intelligent to be a herbalist in the castle_.

A third figure darts into the room until he's practically on top of me. That's no small feat since I'm taller than him. His yellow cat-like eyes are intense as the stare into mine with suspicion, but I don't care. He's standing too close and after my encounter with Izana, this invasion of personal space is the last straw. So I scream into his face, and he jumps back in shock, landing on one leg and raising his hands in self-defense. Now that he's at a safe distance, I take a good look at him. He's tanner than the other two, and he has short black hair that covers his forehead, but the scar above his left eye is clearly visible. His clothes are the most casual, too, consisting of a black long-sleeved shirt, an olive-gray vest and matching pants, a green scarf around his neck, brown gloves, and dark gray boots.

"...You're not a herbalist," I say to him. He looks at me in confusion before barking out in laughter.

"Milady is a good judge of character," he manages to say through his chuckling. He calms down and gives me a dramatic bow, bending over until his head almost touches the floor. "The name's Obi," he introduces himself after rising, "And I'm the official messenger of Prince Zen and unofficial bodyguard of these two." He points at the court herbalists.

"Nice to meet you," the lone girl says with a smaller bow of her own. "My name is Shirayuki." I struggle to keep my face expressionless as the kid greets me and identifies himself as Ryuu. Shirayuki, as in 'Snow White' in Japanese. And she has read hair, making her Snow White with the red hair. Akagami no Shirayukihime. I take a deep breath to expel my shock and give the trio a smile.

"Nice to meet you," I formally greet them with a little curtsey. "And please, there's no need for formalities with me. Memphis will do just fine. Now that the introductions are taken care of, may I ask why His Highness sent for you?"

"The Prince instructed us to assist you personally for any medical reasons that occur during your stay at Castle Wistal," Ryuu informs me.

"Oh," I say in understanding, then blink at the information while inspecting Ryuu's expression. Oh boy. "You're paraphrasing, aren't you?" Shirayuki gasps as the boys' eyes widen in surprise. "I knew it," I tell them, "You guys are the second, well, second, third, and fourth people to do that. First Aoi, and now you. What is he saying about me? What did he tell you guys?"

"Smart one you are, Milady," Obi comments with a cat-like smile. "What the first prince said was these guys were to attend to you should anything peculiar happen. And he called you Little Mouse." I frown at him.

"That's it? That's mild. And I told you not to call me Milady," I remind him, and then I realize something. "Earlier you mentioned a Prince Zen. Is he the second prince of Clarines?"

"Why indeed he is," Obi confirms, "And he sends his regards and welcome to Clarines. He also asks that you come to his solar for a proper introduction." With those last words, a gleam of amusement shines in his eyes, which in my current situation can only mean one thing.

"I think you meant a proper interrogation, Obi," I reply with a huff, "If you are to continue your job as an official messenger for the Prince, you ought to relay such messages word for word." All three of them blink in surprise at my shrewdness, but I hold my ground and stand even straighter. They are not going to make a mockery out of me. A chuckle comes from the door that one of them forgot to close. We all turn to see a miniature version of Prince Izana standing just outside the room with semi-short hair that's practically white. Prince Zen. He steps inside and approaches me and takes a bow that matches the one Izana did in the library.

"Your honesty and criticism are most welcome, Lady Memphis," he tells me with a grin, his brother's blue eyes looking at me with kindness. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Zen Wistaria of Clarines, and I wish for your stay here in Castle Wistal to be pleasant. And as for the 'proper interrogation', as you kindly reminded my messenger, I think it best that we do it right here. Do you agree?" I give him a smile of my own. I like him.

"Of course, Your Highness. Why don't we all take a seat?" I gesture to the table next to the four-post bed that conveniently has five chairs surrounding it. As we sit, I note that Zen is barely an inch shorter than Obi, and is a noticeable inch or two taller than Shirayuki. He's wearing a blue jacket with a matching blue glove on his left hand, white pants, and blue boots. His has his sword strapped to his side. There's an insignia on the hilt. It's the same symbol from the manga, I realize, but make no outward indication that I recognize it.

When we sit, Obi and Zen sit at my right and left respectively, with Shirayuki on Zen's other side and Ryuu in between her and Obi. I don't fail to see Zen positioned his chair rather close to Shirayuki.

"Lady Memphis," he begins, but I interrupt him.

"Memphis is fine." He looks at me in surprise before shrugging and continuing.

"Memphis, my Lord Brother has informed me—"

"Without the paraphrasing, if you could?" I interrupt him again. His puzzled expression implies that I need to elaborate. "Twice now, these guys being the second occurrence, your brother has said something that others have chosen to rephrase. I am merely asking that you tell me whatever Prince Izana said." He blinks at me before he beams.

"Only if you call me Zen." My lips form a smirk. The others also smile at Zen's words.

"What has your brother told you, Zen?" I ask him.

"He described his side of the incident in the library, which was that while browsing he saw a light flash from another aisle. He approached to investigate and saw you and watched as you explored. He approached you and so began an 'amusing conversation' as he put it, and you told him your name and that you entered the castle by accident. Now how about we hear your side of the story?" They all look at me with encouragement, and I decide to tell them the truth, but nothing about the manga. At least not yet.

"My story starts when I was woken up by cold water dumped on me. At least, I thought it was water..."

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 **Please Rate and Review**

 **~Navy**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back! And I own nothing!**

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"I shouldn't have opened my mouth," I groan as Shirayuki finishes examining my left arm. She chuckles as she directs me to rotate my shoulder.

"It's no trouble to make sure your healthy, that is why I'm a Court herbalist. And you did say your arm had been pulled out of its socket last week. Inflammation can linger and affect the muscle."

"But I already told you I recently went to a physician, and he said I was fine."

"Your arrival in the Palace Library was a unique and stressful experience that could have caused tensions to your recovered muscles, if not pulling your arm out of the socket a second time," came Ryuu's response from a nearby table, not taking his eyes of the medical journal he was currently writing in. Because I have no rebuttal to his statement, I glare at my arm for being responsible for putting me in this situation.

My "interview" with Zen ended about an hour earlier, with me telling him everything about how I got here, minus the manga I found. So as far as anyone was concerned, the mysterious light that transported me to the royals' private library came out of nowhere. Zen asked me a few more questions before leaving, no doubt to report to his brother Prince Izana. Then Shirayuki told me that she and Ryuu wanted to make a medical history for me, and asked if I would mind if we go to the medical wing. I said I didn't, but I asked her if we could see some of the palace grounds while on the way.

The three of them decided that a "slight" detour on the way to the medical wing wouldn't be so bad. Wistal Castle is a beautiful palace. The majority of buildings are white, with a few splashes of pink rooftops and spires. Some of the ramparts and walls have carvings of light blue swirls and lines on top a deep blue stripe. Each archway has one of two symbols on its crest, and I recognized on of them to be the same as the one on Zen's scabbard. _And the one on the manga_. I took a risk by asking my companions what the two represent. Apparently, the one I familiar with is the sigil of the royal family. The other one is a representation of the people of Clarines. The design consists of a diamond-shaped flower with petals over what might be a chalice or bowl if you look at the swirls one way. But when I first saw it, I swear it was an abstract owl.

When we arrived at the medical wing, Ryuu led us to a room filled with shelves and medicinal filing cabinets. Besides the table that Ryuu's currently sitting at, there's a second one appears to double as a desk. I barely noticed the pillow and blanket in the space below the second table before Shirayuki picked up a journal and started asking me questions about my medical history and previous injuries. And that was how I ended up mentioning my arm getting pulled out of its socket two weeks ago. And of course, Shirayuki insisted I sit down and examine it to make sure I didn't tear any muscles, so Ryuu took over writing and asking me questions.

"The good news is that your arm is still in good condition," Shirayuki finally says after assessing I'm not in any pain. "But how did you say it got injured again?"

"I was sparring with a friend of mine, and when I threw a punch at him, he defended himself by grabbing my arm and pulling it to throw me off balance. But I was also trying to pull my arm out of his grip, so our combined forces dislocated my shoulder. Since neither of us was at fault, his mother decided to punish us both with unpaid shifts in the bookstore."

"Why should your employer care if you injured your arm?" Obi asks from his perch on the open window sill. "And how come she gets to punish you when your friend is her child, and not you?"

"Komori-san used to be my nanny, my caretaker?" I tell him, wondering if I have to say the word in Japanese. "After she retired she opened a bookstore, and I work there part-time. And according to her, I'm always going to be her _akachan_ , so if I get hurt, so she's always going to care."

" _Akachan_?" Shirayuki asks with a puzzled look. I blush when I realize I have to translate.

"It's her way to call me baby." Shirayuki smiles kindly, whereas Obi gives a small smirk. Ryuu just looks at me expectantly. "What?"

"Why is a lock of your hair gray?"

" _Che_ , seriously?!" I swear as a frisk my hair in front of my eyes, trying to locate the godforsaken section. Shirayuki helps me, not bothering to hide her surprise at my anger.

"Is this something we need to be concerned about?"

"No, no," I sigh, glaring at the treacherous hair. "It just pisses me off when I miss a section. I'm a master of hair dye, and yet _this_ happens." I emphasize by shaking the lock.

"The gray is your natural hair color?" Obi asks, shifting to lean forward and away from the window.

"Yeah," I confer, "It's a thing, an admittingly weird thing, in my father's family for some of us to have our hair turn gray during adolescence. I used to have red hair, believe it or not." I turn to Shirayuki. "Not like yours," I say as I assess her locks. "Mine was a dark red and looked nothing like an apple. Same goes with my older brother. His red is golden, like honey."

"Your brother also has red hair?" Ryuu asks with intrigue.

"Hai, that's right." Now it's my turn to be puzzled when the three look at each other in amazement. "What, the newcomer asks a second time?" Obi chuckles at my humor and turns to answer me.

"Red hair is rare in the kingdoms of this continent, and sometimes nonexistent on others." I lean back in my chair as I think this new information over. Then it hits me.

"Did you guys think the blue was natural?" I ask the three incredulously. And to my utter shock, they all nod and look at me like they had every reason to think so. "Blue hair is _natural_ in this country?! And yet red hair is _still rare_?!" I may or may not be screeching at this point. Based on the others' faces, I think I am.

"Well, yes, when you consider that three of the noble families in Clarines alone have members with blue hair," Shirayuki explains calmly, "Not to mention how common the color is in the neighboring kingdom, Tanbarun." It takes me longer than I wish to admit to calm down, but I eventually do. I lean back in the chair again and decide to take another risk.

"Can I ask a hypothetical question?" All three nod their heads again. "Considering what you just told me, is there any possibility that there's another girl named Shirayuki with red hair?" Shirayuki and Ryuu scrunch their faces in thought, but Obi squints his eyes at me suspiciously. _Che_ , I swear, _too specific_. "Or anyone named Shirayuki, for that matter," I add quickly, "Seeing as how iconic the name is." My words earn three pairs of confused eyes. Doubt starts to creep up my back. "The story of the maiden Snow White?" I ask them nervously.

"Who?" Their voices chorus and dread fills my stomach.

"Shirayuki, don't you know that your name means 'snow white'?" Surprise opens her mouth and widens her eyes, which is answer enough. "You never bothered to ask your parents?"

"My grandparents raised me," she replies, her expression turning thoughtful. "And to be honest, the thought never occurred to me what my name meant since I grew up as a peasant. But I never heard of a story about a girl with that name. What's it about?"

"It's just an old fairy tale fabricated to please the masses," I dismiss with the flick of my wrist. "One of many about a princess who gets saved from her stepmother by the power of true love."

"That sounds nothing like my Mistress," Obi says with a bit of pride in his voice. "She doesn't need anyone to save her. Her strength is strong enough to face any obstacle. And she doesn't even have an evil stepmother."

"I see," I remark. _But fairy tales are retold with many variations_.

"And Shirayuki's hair is red, not white," Ryuu comments. His words make me chuckle.

"Neither was the hair of Snow White. But her _skin tone_ certainly was pale," I tell the group, getting up from my chair and walking over to Shirayuki. "Looks like your grandparents family was thinking the same thing," I remark as a hold up our arms side by side to compare them. My skin makes hers look paper white, and hers makes mine look like leather. Shirayuki smiles unsurely but grows more confident when I smile back.

"Speaking of color," I continue, "you guys wouldn't happen to have a recipe for hair dye, would you? It doesn't have to be blue," I say as I point to my head. "Just something to keep this mess _not_ gray."

"I can discuss with the Chief herbalist on making a paste for your hair," Ryuu says as he notes the reminder down in the journal. "But it may take a day or two."

"That's fine," I tell him, but in my head, I panic. _Here's hoping the dye already on me stays for that long_.


End file.
